United States Asks Mexico to Review Labor Issues at Hulera Tornel

The US government is asking Mexico to review claims of workers’ rights violations at Hulera Tornel, a tire manufacturing company with facilities in Mexico City and Tultitlan, State of Mexico. The request was made through the USMCA Interagency Labor Committee for Monitoring and Enforcement, following a petition filed by the National Union of Workers of Hulera Tornel Company.

The petition, submitted on Dec. 9, 2024, alleges that Hulera Tornel failed to adhere to a rubber sector-wide agreement and instead negotiated individual agreements with workers that offer lower benefits. These benefits cover critical areas, including working hours, holidays, vacation pay, savings fund contributions, Christmas bonuses, and the company's share of social security contributions. The petition claims these agreements do not provide the full benefits stipulated in the broader sector-wide agreement.

After reviewing the petition, the US Interagency Labor Committee determined that there was sufficient and credible evidence supporting the allegations. This led the US government to submit a formal request to the Mexican government for review. The US Department of Labor and the US Trade Representative co-chair the Interagency Labor Committee.

“Every Mexican worker in the rubber industry deserves the full benefits negotiated in the sector-wide agreement. Any company attempting to skirt providing these benefits is violating Mexican labor law and the provisions of the USMCA,” says Thea Lee, Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs.

This case marks the third instance in which the USMCA’s Rapid Response Labor Mechanism has been used to address alleged violations within Mexico’s rubber sector. "The mechanism has proven effective in empowering workers and reminding employers of their obligations,” says US Trade Representative Katherine Tai. “The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to working with the Mexican government to ensure workers at Hulera Tornel, as well as others in the rubber industry, are treated fairly and with dignity.”

Under the USMCA framework, the Mexican government has 10 days to decide whether to initiate a review of the case and 45 days to conduct an investigation and report its findings. Hulera Tornel, which employs over 1,600 workers across its two plants, including 1,070 unionized workers, produces a variety of tires for industrial, cargo, off-road, agricultural, and passenger vehicles, many of which are exported to the United States.